Rocket
by Shmilly
Summary: The mighty Rocket Corporation is poised to seize the world market. Its leader uses a business deal to further his own shadowy experiments. If the research comes to fruition, it will be down to an unsuspecting trainer from Pallet to tackle the syndicate.
1. Stage One

The rain beat an endless rhythm against the tall windows of the boardroom. A group of businessmen were seated around a long table, watching as slides were projected onto the far wall. The year's profits, the latest public opinion survey, and details of market competitors followed in quick succession. As a name was announced, the inconspicuous young man smoothed his jacket and ran a hand through his slick black hair. This was an opportunity he intended to seize.

"Gentlemen, I am sure you are more than aware that Silph is dominating today's economy. To whom do the people turn for their technological equipment, their televisions and radios? Where might one go for their training supplies? Who is it that provides seventy-eight per cent of the region's medicine and healthcare? Yes indeed, this mighty company is the very base for our society.

"But this is not all that we are capable of. I can see a very near, very tangible future in which a beautiful partnership raises our reach to the stars above. Make a deal with Rocket Corporation and I assure you that it will be the greatest decision of your career. Even now our dedicated researchers are developing our breakthrough project, one that I hope will seal our success in the pokémon training market. Now is the time for a melding of this region's two greatest assets into a brand we can take across the world."

His introductory speech concluded, the young man surveyed the room of powerful men. At the head of the table sat the company's founder, Maximilion Silph. Now beyond his years of youth, if he was convinced of Rocket's worth then the takeover would be simple. None of the other suits were much of a threat to his true plan. He kept a controlled appearance while inside he knew this was the most vital part of the process.

"As pioneers in the technological industry, Silph's own facilities will aid the completion of the greatest development in pokémon capturing. Rocket's patented Master Ball is the ultimate trainer's tool. With an estimated retail price of eighteen hundred poké dollars, it is the first device in the pokéball series that guarantees capture with a single use. The prototype model has proven successful against almost all currently known pokémon species. If Silph Company makes a deal with Rocket Corporation, we will generously allow you fifty per cent equity."

Murmuring broke out between the businessmen, and the young speaker nervously fingered the keys in his back pocket. Only Silph himself sat silently, his intelligent eyes boring into his own. It was this man who spoke first.

"Mr Giovanni, you make quite the case. As you can see I am growing old, and you would be a fine candidate to share the burden. I can feel your enthusiasm for the role, but tell me, is it all about the margin for you? Silph Co was not built upon profit alone. We also stand for a fair and kind society. It was this moral standing that informed the decision to make the pokémon centre service free to all registered trainers. What can you bring to this partnership besides an aptitude for business success?"

The question caught Giovanni off guard. He had anticipated the notion, but not expected Silph to voice it. He quickly regained his composure, however, and responded with a well-rehearsed bow. "Mr Silph, the profit is no more than a welcome bonus to the aid which we provide to people across Kanto. After all, part of Rocket's manifesto is to extend the reach of truth and love. It may seem a weak and well-used expression, but for myself, seeing the delight on a young trainer's face is a far greater reward than the sales charts."

At first he was unsure of the persuasive power of his little performance, but a smile broke out across the old man's face and he rose from his seat. With a shake of the hand and a scattered applause, the ordeal was over and Giovanni took his leave. The glass lift descended to the lobby, and he stepped out into the dark of night. An attendant instantly opened an umbrella above his head as he walked the short distance to his driver. Removing a mobile telephone from the interior pocket of his jacket, he slipped into the back of the black sports car and was gone.

* * *

><p>Giovanni dabbed at his brow with a spotless handkerchief while at the other end of the line, the phone rang continually. As they sped across the city, the dim lampposts lit up the interior of the car in waves. A slight smile broke out across Giovanni's face as he considered the work which had been done. Then an eccentric man answered his call.<p>

"Ah, Giovanni! I take it the proposal was a success?"

He took a moment to consider punishing the man's rudeness, but let it pass in his eagerness to impart his orders. "Blaine, when did you ever doubt me? The old fool took in that crap about love and happiness like it was the gospel of Arceus. Of course it was a damn success. Now get to my office, right now. We have more than a few words to share, and I believe it's time to take the next step in a series of very exciting events."

"Yes indeed, sir! I shall be there in but a few moments – we are just putting to test that new paralysis-inducing device you requested."

"Then you may bring the results to our meeting also. If this technology is as effective as I had hoped, we are one step closer to achieving our goal. What a fine day this is for Rocket Corporation!"

With a swift click, Giovanni ended the call and placed the phone back into his pocket. The car drew to a halt by the pavement, dwarfed by the tower that it sat beside. With a nod to the driver, he stepped out of the vehicle and was escorted to the glass doors, which opened at his approach. His polished shoes resounded loudly as he crossed the marble floor of the lobby to his own private lift. This was the only elevator in the building which would not stop at any floor besides the one he selected.

He allowed only his personal attendant into the small compartment alongside himself, and pushed the button for the forty-eighth floor. His own personal office and apartments were here, one of the luxuries that reminded him just how far he had come since the early days of the Rocket group. The crime syndicate ran countless front companies that led the market; they were highly valued by the economy as pioneers in new development, as well as providing services to the general populace. Because of this, no-one would dare challenge the organisation, least of all its extremely wealthy and highly intelligent founder. At just twenty-eight, Giovanni was the most powerful man in all of Kanto.

As the lift slowed with a mechanical hiss, he dismissed his attendant and stepped out alone. He unlocked the door to his office and instantly released his Persian. The rare feline was another symbol of status, although truthfully he had become very attached to it. He had little use for pokémon in battle any more, and in the event of a challenge only the most powerful creatures from his expansive collection would suffice.

Giovanni strode to the wall, which was made entirely of panelled glass. The design afforded him an incredible view of Saffron City. Though it was dark and the storm heavy, the lights of many smaller towers blinked through the rain. In the distance a magnet train was pulling into the station, while many tiny hunched shapes made their way into taxis and out again by the pokémon centre and mart. Behind him, had he been standing on the roof, he would have seen the only building equal in stature to this one, the very room he had just been speaking in level with his own office.

This was what power granted you. And yet this was but the tip of the iceberg.

There was a sharp rap on the door.

Giovanni sat at his wide desk, and the Persian instantly jumped upon his lap. He stroked its soft head absently as he commanded, "enter." The door opened and in walked the scientist Blaine. The man appeared older than his true age, a result of his eccentricity. In fact, he was a middle-aged gym leader from Cinnabar Island who also worked as one of Rocket's top researchers. He was one of few people to have met Giovanni face to face, and one of even fewer to have stepped inside his private floor in Saffron City. The lab coat he wore clashed awkwardly with his maroon waistcoat, shiny top hat and oak staff.

"I see your tests are complete. Tell me, what of the paralysis device?"

"Wasting no time as usual, I see. It's awfully dark in here, can we not… shine a little light into this gloomy office?" Giovanni scowled, but maintained his calm as the mad scientist flicked the switch and the round lights built into the ceiling flickered into life.

"Well, _sir, _the findings are more than conclusive. When faced with a variety of pokémon, covering each of the main elemental categories, the machine restricted their movement every single time. Even a fully grown Rhydon was unable to break free. What's more, within a few weeks we should be able to reduce the size of the device to a single chip which could be implanted within a pokéball."

"This is very pleasing news indeed, Blaine. But then, I expected nothing less from a man of your talents! If we can combine this with the Master Ball technology, we may even be able to use it to capture a trainer's pokémon."

"And what of your own pursuits, sir? How is the biogenetic facility on New Island faring with the strand of Mew DNA?"

Giovanni rose, startling his feline companion. "It is frustrating progress, but I had envisioned it would be so. Once again, I must ask you never to relay such information if you wish to be a part of this project, but I can tell you this for now: there have been several successful attempts to clone Mew, although these have been flawed and lived for but a few days independently. Our real concern, however, is not to reproduce this rare pokémon, but to create one all our own. Imagine if you will a creature made of nature and science. The ultimate pokémon!"

He turned, a maniacal grin contorting his handsome face into one of madness. Blaine smiled himself, his white moustache twitching as he emitted a low chuckle. "Then I shall see you in two weeks, unless I hear differently. I am as pleased with our advances as yourself. May this long venture be a fruitful one."

As the old man left, Giovanni turned to the window once again, and his Persian rubbed itself against his legs. "See all of this, my pretty? One day soon, all of it and more will be mine. Once we have made the most powerful pokémon ever known, Team Rocket will rule the world!"


	2. Warm Welcome

A young man yawned and pulled aside his covers as the morning rays peeked through his curtains. Apparently he had neglected to close them properly the night before. No matter, because today was an important one. It would not do to wake up late.

He ran a hand through his messy blond hair and drew aside the offending curtains. Already he could feel the sun's warmth on his bare chest. Groggily he made his way to the bathroom and washed and dressed. To finish his appearance, he pulled on a beanie hat over his still damp hair, where it sat lopsided, displaying the logo of last year's International Pokémon League tournament. It had coincided happily with his fifteenth birthday and his parents had taken him to the semi-final match at the Indigo Plateau.

His mother was not yet awake, so he poured a bowl of cereal and sat crunching peacefully while her Machoke tidied the kitchen. The masculine pokémon was currently washing last night's dishes in a pair of pink rubber gloves. The sight no longer held the same amusement for him as it had when she had first set it to household tasks, but it coaxed a slight smile this morning as he added his own bowl to the rack of dirty utensils.

He went back to his room and checked that everything was properly packed. Then he slung his pack across his shoulder, picked up the pokéball sitting on his desk and left. He met his mother on the landing; she uttered a sleepy greeting and he waved cheerfully as he passed her. As he made his way to the front door, a note on the worktop caught his attention. It was from dad, who had already left for work. He skimmed the neat capitalised writing and then put it down and placed his hand on the doorknob.

* * *

><p>The autumn day assaulted his senses as he emerged into the outside world. It had been raining heavily across the region last night, but Pallet remained virtually untouched. The dew was damp on his canvas shoes as he walked the short distance to the town's laboratory, home of the famous Samuel Oak, pokémon professor. The morning was chilly but the brightness of the sun above hinted at a warm day. Already, several excited teenagers were gathered outside the large complex, many with their tired parents. In the nearest paddock, a herd of Tauros quietly grazed while a pair of Ponyta galloped side by side around the fenced perimeter.<p>

Feeling cheerful, he waved at some of the kids as he passed them and went around to the back of the nearest building. A wooden door was set into the stone wall, and outside sat two pairs of wellington boots. He opened the door and wiped his own shoes on the awaiting mat, before continuing into the large room beyond. Several cluttered desks were spread seemingly randomly about the lab, while in the far corner was a machine for healing injured pokémon. A multitude of computer screens graced one wall, where technicians sat before an array of complex buttons, reading and recording various data.

He ignored these, however, and went straight to the back of the room, where a greying middle-aged man stood poring over countless documents. The professor was so engrossed in his work that he did not even notice the young man who stood right next to him with a bemused grin across his face.

"So, 'The relationships between nomad tribes and pokémon', eh?"

The professor looked up, startled. His bushy black eyebrows had shot up into his forehead. He quickly relaxed and smiled. "Gary. It's good to see you, boy."

"Hey Gramps. You're very popular today y'know. There's loads of wannabe trainers out there. You want me to let them in?"

Oak groaned as if he had completely forgotten what day it was. Gary chuckled to himself. The old man was so into his research that Christmas could have passed him by in the meantime. As he hastily tidied his notes, Gary started to explore the laboratory. It didn't take him long to locate his father, one of Oak's top aides and next in line to inherit the laboratory as the aging professor's son-in-law. Recently he had become so obsessive over his latest project that he was rarely at home. Gary's mother worried that he was somehow turning into her father, despite them being related only by law. "You never know," she had said to him last week, "the power of pokémon works in mysterious ways."

"What's up kiddo?" he said as Gary approached. "Your mother get my note?"

"She was only getting up when I left," he replied, and then added, "I'm sure she won't mind, dad. She understands how important your work is, you just gotta balance it out a little. Don't worry anyway, Choke takes good care of her."

His father nodded, and made to resume his studies. "Oh, and by the way, Ash is coming round to the lab soon. I think it'll do the new trainers good to see you two here." Gary was surprised. As far as he knew, his neighbour had already left on his own travels. Perhaps, like himself, he had decided to wait until enrolment day. Unlike his grandfather, Ash was not one to miss an important date.

Gary left the way he had come in and opened his pokéball. Together he and his Eevee walked around the vast fields in which numerous trainers' pokémon roamed freely. The little fox-like animal trotted around happily. She was his first pokémon, given to him by the professor earlier that year when he turned sixteen. He would perform the same joyful task today, fulfilling the childhood dreams of the kids who waited impatiently outside the lab even as he stood here in the ranch. Recently Ash had also turned sixteen, and it seemed that today Gary would discover what pokémon he had been given.

There was a call from across the field. One of the professor's lab assistants was motioning for him to return to the laboratory. He looked at his feet. "Well Eve, you gonna run with me or do you want a ride?" The small pokémon barked happily and he picked her up, placing her on top of his hat. Then he jogged toward the building and returned her reluctantly to her ball. He briefly swept his gaze over the assistant who had drawn his attention; she was a young woman, probably in her early twenties, with long red hair that fell straight down her back, almost to the waist. In fact, Gary thought, it was probably a health and safety risk.

He entered the lab once again, this time from a different entrance to before. There was muffled speaking in the next room. Gary turned left and quietly climbed the metal staircase. He emerged on a balcony which extended above a group of young teenagers, whose eyes were all fixed on the professor before them and the three shining pokéballs that stood on podiums beside him. It was a few moments before Gary noticed the other silent spectator across the balcony. Ash flashed a grin, and he responded with a curt nod. They had not parted on the best of terms, but hopefully that would be worn away in the heat of a battle.

Below them, Professor Oak picked up the first pokéball, and the crowd entered a hushed moment of anticipation. The capsule enlarged at the professor's touch, after which he gently pressed a round button in its centre. With a brief flash of light, it opened, and a short frog-like creature appeared. There was a plant growing out of its back, the flower still growing inside a closed bulb. Sounds of awe came from the gathered children. "Bulbasaur, the seed pokémon," said the professor.

He moved to the next podium and as he placed his hand on the second pokéball, Gary could just make out the slight translucency that came over its top half. This allowed a trainer to see which pokémon was inside in a fast-paced battle, reducing the time needed to switch in a new contestant. With a similarly blinding burst, an orange reptile materialised next to Bulbasaur. "Charmander, the lizard pokémon" stood on its hind legs and eyed the room warily. A naked flame burned on the tip of its tail.

"And finally, as I am sure you all know," began the professor, opening the final capsule, "here is Squirtle, the tiny turtle pokémon." The tortoise was blue in colour, with a hard brown shell. It too chose to stand upright, resting on its curled tail for balance. "Your choice is simple, but also one of the most difficult decisions you will ever likely make. Which of these three would you take as your partner and friend, your first pokémon?"

An exited buzz emanated from the gathered trainers-to-be. Gary couldn't help but smile at their pleasure; it was infectious. The professor recalled the starter pokémon and placed their balls on a small tray, which he passed to the red-haired assistant Gary had seen earlier. Those were the scientist's own pokémon, not ones available to new trainers. The crowd, however, did not seem to realise this, and fell into silence once again.

"Before I ask you to step forward and make this choice, however," the professor continued, "I have a special treat. How would you like to see a real pokémon battle?" Gary was as clueless as the children below him. Then a nervousness crept through him as his grandfather looked up at the metal balcony. "Gary, Ash, why don't you come on down?"


End file.
